Rory Swenson
"Looking is different than seeing"- Rory, realizing her gift in Finally Rory Swenson is a special 12-year-old girl who makes her first appearance in the book Finally as the main character and narrator of the story. Tara Brennan and others in the books state that Rory has a special gift for realizing what others need, maybe before they even realize it themselves. She is stated to be “always one step ahead of everyone else”. ''Finally'' Rory shows up as the narrator and main character of Finally. Rory has over-protective parents who watch her every move, causing her to wish for all kinds of different 12-year-old things for her birthday such as getting her ears pierced, walking to school, drinking coffee, getting a pet, riding in the front seat, and the most important...owning a cell phone! She might even drink the oldest can of Tab in her house! However, she learns the hard way that things don't always turn out as you want. Will her birthday turn out how she wants? What is going to happen? 13 Gifts In 13 Gifts, Rory seems to recognize what Tara's going through and plays a major part in helping her with her list from Angelina. The Last Present Rory makes several appearances in The Last Present, stepping into the part of a supporting friend. She and Tara prank Amanda and Leo several times when they come back from the past, showing that they're not afraid to be silly with their friends. Graceful Like in 13 Gifts, Rory helps Grace more than needed with her journey as well as trying to dodge the press when they find out about her relationship with Jake Harrison. Relationships Annabelle: Annabelle is known as her sweet and spunky best friend. Rory describes Annabelle as a typical girly-girl, as she wears lip gloss and has great fashion sense. Annabelle's parents are opposites of Rory's, nearing their fifties as Rory mentions, and they have allowed Annabelle to do almost everything on Rory's "12" list. However, Annabelle, like Rory, is kindhearted and open, seeing people for their true qualities rather than their outward appearance. She is very jovial and outgoing and Rory expresses in Finally, "How can you stay mad at someone who does things as nice as that?" and "Annabelle practically glows in the hallway, there's no way you couldn't notice her." She and Annabelle like to joke around with each other along with their friend, Sari, and they also like doing just about everything with one another. Sari: Sari is also Rory's friend, but doesn't measure up to the same level as Annabelle. Sari has a thing for hair and wears it different every day, and even helps Rory with her hair. Rory says at the beginning of Finally that she and Sari rarely talk unless they're with Annabelle because Sari is more of Annabelle's friend. It's clear that as the book goes on, they become a lot closer. Amanda Ellerby and Leo Fitzpatrick: She confronts them occasionally in Finally and she says that they know something about her that she doesn't. In the end, she decides she likes Amanda and Leo, even though they weird her out when they talk to her about things like "seeing not looking" and Angelina (although they never actually mention the name in front of her). At the beginning of 13 Gifts, you can tell that Rory, Leo, and Amanda (along with David) have become best friends. ''David'': ''Tara used to think that David had a crush on Rory, but she can see now that they're just very good friends. Sawyer: Rory is a good big sister to Sawyer and is very nice to him no matter the age difference. ''Tara Brennan: ''Rory meets her during "13 Gifts". Rory is very good friends with her when she comes to Willow Falls. In the book, it mentions that Tara says that Rory is hard to say no to and that Rory was special and different. Rory also helps Tara find the thirteen items on her list in "13 Gifts". After this, they are bonded forever with Leo and Amanda because of their involvement with Angelina. ''Parents: ''Rory loves her parents a lot, even though she gets embarrassed by them sometimes. [[Jake Harrison|''Jake Harrison]]:'' Rory is rumored to have been dating the 14-year-old movie star in the beginning of 13 Gifts (where Rory is now 13), which is cleared up by the end of the book, where she says that she and Jake aren't officially allowed to date until she's in 9th grade because her dad made him sign a piece of paper, but for now they're just very good friends. Tara doesn't think that they'll be able to hold off on the 9th-grade thing after she sees Jake and Rory laughing and dancing together. They both meet in Finally when Jake is constantly laughing at Rory's injuries. In 13 Gifts, they email each other until Graceful, when they can text each other. At the end of Graceful, when Rory enters the vortex, she is happy to see that Jake finally became a director but is shocked to find out that he is not her husband but is instead "Uncle Jake" by her kid. This scene implies that while they have broken up, they still seem to be in contact with each other and are still good friends. ''Emily St. Claire: Rory is Emily's babysitter, but being only two years apart, they are good friends. According to Rory's friend Annabelle, she has the "best gig in town." Personality Throughout the Willow Falls series, Rory is known to not judge people, instead see people in her special way. Tara decides that she can't say no to anything Rory says. Rory is described as "bossy, determined, and ready to help whether or not asked". As she learns in Finally, Rory makes friends easily not because of her material possessions (like a cell phone) but because of her leadership and her unbeatable personality. Also, Rory is known to be extremely helpful and kind towards others, and most of the time, strangers. (Leo says she can even be a little bossy in the process!) Appearance: Rory has brown hair and green eyes. She is of medium height and has glasses. Category:Female Character Category:Kids Category:Siblings Category:Main character